Even with the children on their backs, they still set a decent enough pace on their way to Lumen. The trees in this forest were widely spaced, and the forest detritus was relatively easy to walk through. He learned from Menos that the trees were called Sternel trees and that they were popular building materials because of their durability and resistance to fire.

The children, now away from the carnage, had completely quieted down. He was not sure whether to take it as a good or a bad sign. They had been through numerous traumatic experiences in the last few days. Back on earth, they would have received mental help, but he did not expect that this was a concept that this world was all too familiar with.

Christopher would never complain, but he had to admit to both mental and physical weariness from all that had happened. Things seemed no different for the others. They had been through the wringer for longer than he had. Nevertheless, there was no time to rest, they all wanted to get safely behind the walls of Lumen sooner rather than later.

Christopher finally had some time to look at the store inside his interface…. and everything was damned expensive. His measly 360 Soul Points were not enough to buy any skill that would help him with fighting. Christopher could only hope that there would be no more trouble from now on.

The store did have some items that he would be able to afford with his current Soul Points.

There was also a special section called starter weapons. There were several different types of weapons listed here. Unfortunately, the only weapon he was able to currently afford was a Sharp steel dagger costing 300 soul points, almost all the soul points he had. The appeal was that this dagger was Soul Bound, meaning that he would not lose the weapon if he ever needed to use [Bookmark]. Still, a soul bound dagger was not exactly a pressing need, he had only just received a perfectly fine hunting knife.

The store also offered sets of clothing and armor, as well as individual armor pieces. All the armor and weapons in the store appeared to be soul bound, but also expensive. He was once again only able to afford the cheapest of the clothing and armor here.

The store offered one cheap starter set for only 120 soul points, but this was just a simple set of black clothing in what he assumed was the style of this world. The only protection it would offer was that of his dignity. Could that damn administrator not have sponsored this set for him? Again, he did not feel a pressing need to buy this outfit. His own outfit might not be soul bound, but at least it had leather components and offered some protection against weapons.

Lastly, he took a look at the final tab with miscellaneous items. Here he found that the store also offered potions. One that he somewhat considered buying was a regeneration potion.

The regeneration potion cost a total of 100 Soul Points. His arm had started hurting more and more as the hours went by. Buying and drinking this potion might alleviate some of his sufferings. However, he worried that the bones in his left arm were broken and displaced. He also was hesitant to spend Soul Points on such an item. Buying this seemed somewhat of a waste, especially if he managed to fix his arm with the help of a healer in Lumen.

He ultimately decided that he needed to save up and buy a skill, hopefully helping him to get a little stronger. Wasting 100 Soul Points to alleviate his pain, or 300 soul points for a somewhat better dagger seemed like a bad investment for now.

After a few hours of walking, they found an indentation in the earth in which remained some stagnant water. Tinos advised them not to drink it, but Christopher and the others very much relished the opportunity to wash off the dirt and the foul Goblin blood from their bodies. He was able to continue his journey looking somewhat less like a walking horror show.

Despite their wariness, he did have a few short conversations with his companions. He asked the teenage boy Menos, some questions about him and his family. From Menos, he learned that Tinos was a very skilled Artisan, renowned for his skill in crafting a wide array of items. Menos was apprenticed to his grandfather, working hard to learn the trade.

Apparently, Tamas was famous in her own right. She was responsible for the more precise work. She managed to transcend the masterly crafted items of Tinos by adding a level of artistry that was highly sought after by both traders and the rich. With that kind of skillset, Christopher did not doubt that they would be able to make a living anywhere.

As the sun gradually crept closer to the horizon, the trees cast long shadows all around them. It gave their surroundings an ominous feel. After several hours of traveling, the vegetation had also changed. The forest had become more densely populated with life.

He spotted an increasing number of bushes with tiny purple berries. When he tried to pick some, Tinos told him they might be deliciously sweet, but also contained some minor poison. Some very small insects that looked a little like dragonflies could be seen feeding on the tiny berries. He learned that people called them Sweetpluckers, after their tendencies to land on anything sweet.

There was other interesting wildlife. There were exotic looking birds that sported red beaks, the color closely resembled that of the leaves that could be seen swaying on the branches of the Sternel trees. He also occasionally spotted small furry creatures that made him think of rabbits. The difference being that these creatures had short ears and longer and thinner tails. Apparently, they were more vicious than they looked, because according to Tamas they would become extremely aggressive when feeling cornered.

After walking all day and just as the last light disappeared over the horizon, they started searching for a place to sleep. Menos wanted to keep moving through the night. But Tinos disagreed, answering that it would be too dangerous. Their vision would be close to zero, making it almost impossible to progress, and they would risk getting off track as well. Since they were stopping for the night, Christopher could only hope that monsters would not be great night travelers either.

They ultimately set up camp under one of the Sternel trees. Since the leaves fell thicker here, they had somewhat of a makeshift bed. At the least, it was somewhat softer than the cold hard forest floor.

Tamas insisted on taking the first shift, keeping a watch for potential enemies. Christopher stated that he would take the second shift before someone else could offer. The twins snuggled up against him and each other trying to find some protection from the seeping cold. Christopher had walked all day with a heavy load, and the cutting pain in his arm, making him both physically and mentally exhausted. So it was no surprise that he fell asleep quite rapidly. When he awoke from people moving beside him, the light had already returned.

He spoke indignantly to tamas. “Why did you not wake me?” He was supposed to take the second shift after all.

She looked at him as if she was annoyed by his question. “You think I forget about that damned arm, you have been nursing it the entire journey. I would not have been able to sleep anyway.”

He felt touched by her concern, she surely must be exhausted herself. He was not quite sure what to say. He was not too used to the concern of others, even in his previous life.

Tinos maybe sensing his mood, spoke up. “Alright let’s get a move on, it shouldn’t be far now, my guess is that we should be there in just a few hours, although it’s hard to tell.”

They quickly picked up their things. Tinos carried the young girl called Nara, while Christopher carried Boru, the still half-sleeping boy using his only functioning arm. They set a brisk pace and again made good progress.

Christopher had to admit that he had grown to care about these people. There is nothing better than some shared suffering to bring people together, he thought wryly. After carrying the small children for so long, he did feel an urge to protect them. He knew he was still very weak, but he vowed that he would make himself strong enough to protect others.

After another few hours of walking, surrounded by the Sternel trees, they finally reached their destination. For the first time in this world, Christopher saw the trees end, and a wide-open plain of dark green grassland appear. And in the distance, he saw the impressive looking walls of Lumen.